After Eclipse
by Aidaedalus
Summary: Spin-off on Future Lucy. After Natsu's death and the destruction of Crocus by the hands of the dragons, Lucy bands together with other surviving mages in an attempt to ward off the sadness from the loss of family, although it is the help of a certain lightning dragon slayer that saves her from the depression setting in, all while they struggle to battle Acnologia. Laxus/Lucy.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! So my friend and I were talking about Fairy Tail, Laxus' sexiness and other trivial things related to Fairy Tail. We stumbled upon the topic of the whole Eclipse Arc, and that Hiro Mashima should have done a spin-off manga based on future Lucy and the other guild mates.

I decided that it would be cool to write one so here it is, be warned however, that there are lots of character death and other morbid things.

Enjoy!

Fairy Tail is the amazing byproduct of Hiro Mashima's imagination!

* * *

The skies were an angry red. Despite the nightfall, not a smidgeon of the rich and velvety dark blue was visible through the rolling smog, nor the pearl-like twinkles of stars strung together in varying constellations. Thick, pungent smoke made it difficult to both see more than the immediate front or sides, what with smarting eyes, and breathe with the noxious, polluting fumes.

Lucy coughed after taking an especially deep draught of the air, causing her already pillaged body to double over and hand to rake at her burning throat and heaving chest, while the other sooty palm covered her mouth. After a few more seconds of the raspy coughs, Lucy straightened and wiped her phlegm-coated palm on her dirty and torn skirt, wincing as she brushed over an oozing gash on her thigh.

Turning a blind eye to her own injuries, Lucy stumbled through the smoke with arms outstretched while calling out to her partner Natsu. The last time she had seen him was when the powerful gusts of air from the dragons' wing movements temporarily increased the visibility of the surroundings by brushing aside the smoke that was companion to the scorching heat flickering from their open maws, and then he wasn't in good shape. He had just been tossed aside like a rag doll after attempting to use his dragon-slaying magic against the dragons, body enveloped in the flames from their roars.

Ironically, his attacks were futile to the gigantic creatures they were designed to combat.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted hoarsely, voice crackling. Occasionally she would stumble against debris from the destroyed buildings and bruise her legs and hands even more. The pain that resulted and the dirt clinging to the bleeding flesh did not weaken her as much as it propelled her forward. It kept her nerves stimulated so that she didn't succumb to the lull of drowsiness, so for that she was grateful.

Time had begun to drone on and on and soon Lucy was reduced to grunting out a call every few seconds and tumbling to the arid earth even more often. A sickly wheezing barely caught Lucy's attention, causing her to perk up and attempt to find it. She decided not to call out in case it was an enemy but instead just creep up to it and peek. After Lucy faltered around for a while, the smoke lessened significantly leaving her with the sight of a charred body, the distinctive white shawl drooping about the person's shoulders alerting her of who it was.

"Natsu!" She exclaimed, rushing over to his side and collapsing onto her bruised knees. His body was burnt terribly, patches of blistering skin released clear fluids and other more serious ones were sizzling white. His rosy hair was singed as well as his eyebrows, but his face had taken minimal damage aside from a gash that trailed from his right temple to his jaw. Along with the burns, various wounds were carved deeply into his skin a sharp, jagged piece of wood protruded from his left bicep and his legs were twisted in awkward positions. Lucy's hands flew up to cover her mouth as tears prickled her eyes. The sickening scent of burnt meat caused Lucy to lean over and retch.

This was her friend, her partner, her Natsu. He was always strong. Always pulled through in the direst situations with a goofy smile at her. Even though he had no energy left at times, he somehow managed to save them countless times. This mangled body was not him, not the strong embodiment of fire; bold, easily riled up and difficult to douse. Yet the very thing that he was had incapacitated him.

"Natsu," she whispered, hands reaching out to touch him but she stopped. Nowhere seemed safe and painless enough. He didn't respond, his unfocused eyes gazing up at the dirty sky.

"Natsu!" she said more urgently. He shifted his head to the side and peered at her through swollen eyelids, a small smile slipping on his face. His usually playful jade eyes were glazed as they darted over her body quickly.

Lucy released a choked sob. He was smiling for her. Her fingers ached to touch him, they inched closer but once again she stopped. She reached for her keys, hoping to summon Virgo to at least tend to his wounds but her search came up empty. Lucy's heart lurched as she remembered that they had fallen in the midst of the pandemonium that the dragons' arrival caused and couldn't pick it up due to sheer mass of persons stampeding around like wild animals.

"Heya Lucy," Natsu croaked, voice weak and quavering. Lucy bit her lip. Her mind was going into overdrive. She wanted to do something, needed to do something, not just stare at him while her emotions fluctuated.

"Don't speak!" she started, "Conserve your energy."

Natsu frowned, an unusual sight what with the loss of his eyebrows. He swallowed thickly, attempting to hydrate his parched throat.

"Don't cry, I don't like it when you cry," he grounded out.

Lucy knawed on the inside of her cheek.

Her Natsu, always trying to make her feel better.

He locked his eyes on her own melancholy chocolate ones. His hand reached up, shaking, and brushed her cheek, smearing it with his blood. Lucy hesitantly grasped it and cradled it, wanting to feel his skin on hers, to memorise it. Natsu began to shift and struggle, trying to lay his head on her lap.

Tears were trailing down her cheeks. Lucy helped him, wincing as blood pulsed out of his open wounds. Natsu sighed in relief, his head nestled in her lap, as he stared up at her. She took his palm once more and rested it on her cheek. She bit her lip to stop the trembling but could do nothing to stop the same from happening to her chin.

"'m sorry I couldn't save you Lucy. I couldn't stop them," he whispered, eyes lazily drifting half shut. His body relaxed and it seemed as if he were falling asleep.

"Natsu!" Lucy gasped, "Stay awake! No, no, no don't sleep."

His eyes widened marginally as his lips tugged up into a smile. His other hand, the one with the wood sticking out wickedly, moved to tug at his scarf but it thumped back to the ground, the wood embedding deeper with a sickening squelch.

"Take it Lucy," he slurred, referring to the scarf, "It can repel the –" the rest of his words blended together into an unintelligible jumble. Natsu's eyes focused once more.

"Love you Lucy, I did since the moment I saw you."

Lucy's heart jumped into her throat. A tidal wave of emotions threatened to overwhelm her. Her throat clogged up with a huge lump of emotion. This was not happening.

"I wanted to have babies with you," he said, chapped lips cracking from the wide smile he gave her, a small bubble of laughter escaping him. His eyes glazed over once more and he released a juddering breath.

"Sing for me."

Lucy nodded slowly, grasping his hand like a lifeline. Her throat was scratchy and irritated, and extremely dry, yet she plowed on. This was the only thing she could do for him.

"_Words are born into air, and quick fade out in the wind, but they find their way inside you, where they live on forevermore,"_ her voice quivered, the lump in her chest was growing, strangling her voice until she was sobbing into Natsu's palm.

Natsu was staring up at her, eyes lidded and glinting. The pain had dulled in his body and he was slowly slipping into the cool embraces of the darkness. A faint golden glow emanated from Lucy, bathing him in a gentle warmth, and partially dispelling the cold.

She choked back her tears, opting to continue the song. It was the one that Lyra sang for them after a mission, and strangely it comforted Lucy even now when she felt as if her world were falling apart. Natsu forced himself to stay awake, just a little longer, staring at Lucy.

"_When the skies are dark and full of rain, look inside your heart, the light, so warm will come and glow, shining just like the sun. You can see, just how much you've grown, how strong you are, a love will open up to you, and it starts from the day that you, first heard those words."_

Natsu blinked blearily up at Lucy, then offered her one more smile. His eyes were filling with tears now, he wasn't ready to leave her, he wanted more time, to show her just how much he really loves her, to protect her.

She kissed his hand. His eyes slid shut, finally submitting to the beckon of the other world. His chest stilled as he took a final breath.

"I love you too, Natsu," she whispered then collapsed against his rapidly cooling body, consumed by the grief welling up in her.


	2. Chapter 2

The sporadic crunch of gravel was the only thing that could've alerted anyone of the Laxus' movement. He was followed by another less subtle person, and most likely that was due to the mild limp she sported. A scarce day had passed since the dragons made their daunting appearance and with the smoke drifting away slowly, the true magnitude of damage taken by Crocus was dispiriting. It was obvious that any recovery to the tarnished lands would take a miracle and some to accomplish.

The two persons darted silently, eyes furtive as they expected something, anything to jump out of flickering shadows, after all, if thousands of dragons could just pop up from nowhere, then nothing stopped anything else from following suit. The large, but stealthy, man stopped suddenly, nose twitching as he took a whiff of the air. He frowned then closed his eyes in order to fine tune his nose then sniffed again. The trickle of the familiar scent that caught his attention drifted by again, directing him to some obscure location towards the east.

"Laxus?" Evergreen queried softly as she stopped beside him. He turned towards her, cobalt eyes tired but burning with a passion, then motioned for her to follow him with a brief jerk of the head.

_That's three now,_ she counted mentally as she trailed after the man with renewed vigour. The small smatterings of rubble heaps soon led to collapsing buildings and even more destruction. A violent sneeze threatened to expose the woman's presence to the tentatively crawling animals as the dust in the area grew thicker, but somehow she managed to muffle it. Not a minute had passed before a strangled groan sounded from the man. He skidded to a stop before bending to the side and emptying his stomach's contents. After a few more choking noises, he straightened and swiped his mouth roughly.

"What's wrong?" she asked, shocked by the display of sickness by the usually resilient man, although hesitant of his response. Even though she was bombarded with nothing more than bad news over the past twenty four hours, for Laxus who was the ultimate tough guy to react so violently meant that something terrible must have incited his response. And so it seemed as his sharp features were shadowed with an overwhelming solemnity and his jaw clenched and unclenched rhythmically.

He didn't respond, preferring to take a few slow footsteps towards an exceptionally dense patch of debris. As they neared the area of their attentions, they soon realised that the edges of heaps of stone blended into a shallow crater that nestled two stilled bodies. The woman gasped, hands flying to cover her mouth as she blinked furiously.

_Is that…?_ her thoughts trailed off ominously. Laxus took shaky footsteps towards the centre of the crater, his face morphing into disgust as wave upon wave of a fetid smell washed over him, especially sickening with his enhanced senses. Still, he pushed through, and chose to steel his mind and heart until he was back at the little haven he had quickly assembled to expose his grief.

A feminine trembling form lay hunched over another completely motionless one that was attracting flies. It was Lucy, although Laxus knew who was there since a ways off because of her distinctive scent, even though it was smothered by another painfully familiar but stinking one. Laxus took a hesitant step forward. Grief was something that made people react unpredictably, so he had to treat the girl with delicacy.

The treacherous snapping of a branch beneath his foot caused the bowed head to angle upward and back to tense. Slowly she turned to face Laxus, causing his heart to skip a beat. Her face was a pasty white beneath the smudges of dirt and blood, and eyes a blood-shot red. Her lips were caked with dry blood from a wound where she bit through the flesh. The usually lustrous flaxen hair was a dry, singed mess, parts of it burnt higher than some and ashes were tangled in the knots giving it an even dirtier appearance. Most of her clothes were ripped and barely kept her modesty. On another day Laxus would have had his eyes full of her voluptuous body, but not today as the wounds exposed made his lip curl.

On her right thigh was a short but deep gash, if anything was to go by the splashes of blood that had dried on her skin. Her arms were burnt as well, marring the milky skin with blotchy spots. Various arrangements of bruises left mottled motifs on her back, dancing along her skin in a sort of sick pattern. It looked as if she had hunched over the body and protected it from the raining debris.

The body. Laxus' stomach lurched once more. He was trying to avoid looking at the pitiful reminder of Natsu Dragneel. The body was littered in even more wounds than the blonde, causing Laxus to avert his eyes. He wasn't friendly with the guy, but the bugger had grown on him, like he had on everyone else in the guild with his cheery, hot-headed demeanor and constant thirst for fights.

But this…this husk was not Natsu Dragneel so Laxus refused to look at it, in fear of forever tarnishing the brilliant memory of flames that accompanied that name, with a lifeless hunk of flesh.

"Lucy," he said warily, inching forward to the blonde. Surprisingly she hadn't bolted at his presence or flinched in fear, just stared up at him listlessly. Taking that as a good sign he continued forward a little more boldly until her was about a foot away from her. It took all he had in order to ignore the putrid scent rising from the body but he did.

"We have to go Lucy," he said a little urgently, and they did. They had already spent far too long in one area to be safe. It was as if a flip had been switched inside her. Emotions danced across her face, before settling on shock.

"Lax-us?" she asked, voice croaking and hands tightening around Natsu's immobile one, "Are we taking Natsu with us?"

Laxus stumbled back in surprise. Take him back…Did she not know that he was dead? A foreign scent invaded Laxus' nostrils causing him to swivel cautiously. Whoever it was reeked of mould and other disturbing things, and he knew immediately that it was no one good.

Without thinking, he grabbed Lucy's forearm and pulled her up. She let out a croak of protest and lashed at him, but Laxus only tightened his grip. She groaned in pain before wriggling against him.

"We have to take Natsu," she whispered. Laxus frowned. He would have to render her unconscious in her delusional state as the scent was quickly advancing to their direction.

"Natsu is dead," he said gruffly, although not intending to say it so harshly. She gasped then stopped her struggle and stared up at him with tears swelling in her eyes.

Shit. She wasn't supposed to cry.

"I know," she replied then shook off his hand and bent once more over Natsu's body. She unwrapped the scarf around his neck reverently then placed a kiss on the cold, stiff lips. Laxus averted his eyes. It was like staring at something he wasn't supposed to. She tugged on his arm after a few seconds, now donned with the scaled muffler.

Laxus nodded in approval then crouched down in front of her. Without a word she clambered unto his back, pressing more into his warmth unconsciously as it reminded her of someone else, then swiftly Laxus departed.

"Ever," he called out spurring the woman who was with him, but silent during the interaction with Lucy, forward.


	3. Chapter 3

Lucy felt like a stranger as she lay, strangely relaxed against the firmness of Laxus' back, jolting every so often with his darting footsteps, and replayed the occurrences of the past day. Everything was detached and muted. The initial cheers of victory sounding from the bar where the guild had taken temporary residence to celebrate their emergence as winners of the Grand Magic Games, soon blending into frenzied cries of pain and disbelief, rightly so because nobody expected dragons of all things to come darting across the sky, their bulbous bodies obscuring the moonlight and drenching Crocus in darkness.

At the first sight of the dragons Natsu, as well as the other dragon slayers, were excited. They thought that their dragons had returned to them, but that notion was quickly cast aside as the reptilian creatures attacked the town. Lucy felt sorry for him and the other dragon-raised slayers to have to attack the creatures that they longed be reunited with.

Everything was a catastrophe from then on, what with the panic overriding any thinking capabilities. Even if Lucy wanted to do anything at the time, she was unable to do so because she lost her keys. It was in times like these that she wished Celestial Spirit magic wasn't her only one. And then Natsu – always the self-appointed hero – went streaking after the dragons with Happy's help, his signature catch phrase at the tip of his tongue.

"_I'm all fired up."_

A soft pulse of anger throbbed through her and she unknowingly dug her fingers into Laxus' shoulders where she had gripped on tightly. Stupid Natsu with his hero complex. If only he had just played it cool and observe before jumping headfirst then maybe...she stopped her line of thoughts. There was no good in drowning in the past. She focused on the lummox of a man supporting her, wondering how he fared over the past few hours. He seemed surprisingly calm despite Natsu's corpse having stared up at him, and didn't appear to have any mortal injuries indicating that he either ran away from the fight, which was highly unlikely, or that he was even stronger than accredited and held his own against the dragons pretty well.

Lucy winced at a dull throb in her spine and shifted slightly in Laxus' grasp. He tightened his hold on her thighs, unknowingly causing pain from the wound to flare up. She focused on her surroundings to distract her from the rising aches.

Crocus was in shambles, not that Lucy expected anything less. Although most of the smoke had dissipated, visibility was still low with the dust particles whirling lazily from the concrete rubble. The sky had just begun to clear up as well, casting a pale light on the town yet it did nothing to alleviate the dreariness of the place. It was as if all the life and vividity had been sucked out and replaced with washed out effigies. The once grand buildings and exquisitely clean cobblestone pavements were a jumble of rock. At the sight of mangled bodies and detached limbs mingled with the debris, Lucy squeezed her eyes shut and instead focused on Laxus' even breaths and the prickly sensation of his hair brushing her cheek.

The flashes of blood and bodies in a sickening tango danced across her closed eyelids still and Lucy let out a small whimper. The hands looped around her thighs squeezed comfortingly, shooting more pain through her, but she welcomed it the same way she did the previous night. The pain drove away lingering memories, giving her something else to hold unto.

Lucy appreciated Laxus' gesture of comfort although it didn't work the way he intended. She opened her eyes and studied the sweat beading across the nape of his neck and the slight flush across the tanned skin.

_This person is alive_, she thought and that was what comforted her the most, the feeling of another live body rippling beneath her own and that, for a second, made her feel okay. The methodic jostling from Laxus' jogging coupled with his surprising warmth and Lucy's exhaustion soon sent her drifting into a state of rest and she quickly welcomed it as a temporary reprieve from the nightmarish reality.

A brief change in terrain jolted her awake and she blinked blearily. Laxus had begun to skipping down mounds of rubble lithely, something that required a lot of balance, even more so while supporting her. They were headed to what appeared to be a massive, dilapidated structure with a small opening. Lucy frowned. It was too small for anyone larger than a child to pass through.

Laxus stumbled upon a particularly treacherous heap that gave way underneath his footfalls and tumbled to the ground but manoeuvered so that he fell directly onto his hands and knees, releasing her thighs but doing it so that Lucy would not fall.

Despite his efforts to not harm her, the shock from the fall itself caused her previously subsiding aches to burst through her body and she groaned while sliding off his back. Her spine throbbed again, a white hot flash of pain following soon after, and her body erupted in spasms.

"Lucy!" Laxus exclaimed and she stared up at him weakly, still twitching helplessly, and her vision swimming until everything was a blur and the edges of her eyesight dimmed. The relief was immediate and the lingering daggers pain soon bled into nothingness.

* * *

Hey guys!

Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

:3


	4. Chapter 4

Laxus spat a few colourful curses as he glanced worriedly at Lucy's prone form and stumbled to his feet. He grabbed at his chest with an involuntary cry, a dormant pain flaring up. He doubled over, palm clasped over his mouth erupting into a fit of nasty coughs until clumps of blood peeked through his fingers. His throat ached and lungs clenched painfully.

"Laxus!" Evergreen exclaimed, worry off-setting her attention so that she slipped on a slab of rock and tumbled down on him, knocking him back into the dry, unforgiving ground. She shot up quickly, and helped him up. He shook off her prying fingers and ignored her queries about his health, silencing her with a quick glare.

They had to hurry back into the haven, the person or thing that he smelled back in the clearing where they found Natsu and Lucy had followed them here.

Laxus swiped the blood discreetly away on his pants, hoping that Evergreen didn't see. He motioned her to ready the opening to the building while scooping up the blonde girl. Pain shot through his chest once again but he shoved it aside. There was no time to worry about things like that.

Evergreen had already clawed at the small opening by the time he reached her, making it big enough for them to hobble through. She darted in. Laxus followed, but delved deeper in the enclosure while she piled back another set of stones to block the entrance.

It was his luck when he happened upon the building the night of the dragons' attack. He had been spotted by some of the mini-dragon creatures, spawn of the dark grey dragon calling itself Motherglare, that were prowling around. While he wouldn't usually run away from a fight, he knew when to retreat and this time was such; he had been spent both emotionally and physically.

While the place appeared as just a large but mostly destroyed building on the outside, it was much more than that. Surprisingly, the inner structure was mostly intact except where the ceiling had crumbled on the far left corner, crushing the only other exit. In his desperation the previous day to escape, Laxus had smashed the floor with a severely weakened lightning-powered punch, only barely making a hole the floor, but it had shockingly opened up into an underground level.

It was quite a complex set of linked chambers and tunnels, and he mused that the tunnels must have led to and from the castle and was linked to the many safe-houses for the royal family should anything happen and they had to escape. He knew because Makarov had begun sharing secrets privy to Fairy Tail guild masters and so his knowledge was vastly increased.

Of course his exploration of the place had been limited so he didn't know the full extent of what he had stumbled upon, but it was the perfect place to set up for refugees and survivors; right amounts of hidden and notable and easy to change locations in cases of emergencies.

Laxus rested Lucy on the floor before quickly shifting aside the slab of concrete that covered the hole leading to the underground level. He knew that they had to hide their new base better but had put it off in order to search for survivors.

"Laxus, is that you?" A small, frightened voice croaked up from below. He grunted in the affirmative, his chest still causing difficulties.

He grabbed Lucy once more then stepped down unto a table that he shifted there as a step up before he left. After he laid the girl down on one of the cots he went back to assist Evergreen, ignoring the little girl as she scurried off to stare at Lucy.

Evergreen glanced at him worriedly as he moved larger pieces of rubble to completely hide the entrance albeit with a bit more difficulty than he normal; the injuries were quite taxing on his body.

"What's going on Laxus? I didn't know that you were injured," she piped up finally, pausing what she was doing to cast a worried glance over his body.

Laxus ignored her, stuffing the last stone in place then grabbed Evergreen's forearm.

"We have to get down, whatever that thing is might be able to smell us," he said, barely managing to suppress a grimace but forcing to in the presence of her intense observation of his body.

She frowned but did not respond. He would just explode if she continued to pry, and that would accomplish nothing. He helped her down into the underground level then shuffled off to a corner where he slumped over, the shadows swallowing most of his form.

Laxus cast a wary eye over the place ensuring that nothing had gone awry in his absence. The place was dank and musky and there was little air circulation but it was a welcomed reprieve. The destruction of Crocus had a despairing psychological effect on him and having found one place that wasn't in shambles was great. Luckily there was also quite a bit of unperishable foods and tankards of slightly stale but still consumable water, so sustenance wasn't that big of an issue for now.

The place had been surprisingly put away when Laxus found it but he had arranged it a bit differently now. The exit door was left unlocked at all times in case of escape, cots were tucked in the safest corner of the room in a temporary sick bay, and there was a table and bookshelf tucked to the farthest corner where a map of the underground structure and other avenues of escape were held as well as various maps of ambiguous things that Laxus had yet to figure out.

Also, they had the privilege of a cooking area complete with stove, sink and running water, and a bathroom. It was a safe house for royals after all, the conditions of the place couldn't be too poorly. Laxus also assumed that it had its own sewage and plumbing systems since the ones for Crocus were most likely destroyed.

Laxus got up after a few minutes respite and shuffled over to the girl who was still staring at Lucy while fiddling her thumbs.

"Asuka," he started, voice gruff but kind, "You hungry?"

Asuka was the first person he had found. She was covered in the blood of her parents but not injured, their limbs splayed protectively around her. Her eyes had been wide and unblinking, but not a sound escaping her lips as she peered out from the human shields her parents were.

The girl had clung to him the moment she saw him, not looking back at the mangled forms of her parents. After he hurriedly brought her back to the haven and washed off the blood and dirt on her, she burst into tears, soaking his shirt until she fell asleep.

His heart had ached, but all he could do was hold her. He couldn't speak. If he tried then the emotions he was holding back would break free. So many had died. So much blood. So much corpses. It was terrifying.

The girl had not eaten since he found her even though he religiously offered her, but surprisingly this time she grasped his hand and followed him to the kitchen. He allowed a small smile to slip onto his face, knowing moments of peace were going to be rare. He tightened his grip on her little fingers in an uncharacteristic display of emotion.

Laxus stopped, glancing at the cot next to Lucy's which housed Levy in a similar unconscious state, scars littering her small form. His heart clenched and he knew for sure that none of them would ever be the same.


	5. Chapter 5

_They were together. Her hand was enveloped in his rough, warm one, the callouses on the pads of his fingers raking across her much more delicate flesh but it was fine; she felt like a woman next to him. He smiled as if reading her thoughts and squeezed her hand affectionately._

_"__I love you Lucy."_

* * *

It was dark and stifling. An uncomfortable heat seemed to hover over Lucy causing her to gasp and puff awkwardly. She squirmed, trying to make something out of the room but could barely discern anything in the dim, yellowish lighting. Her struggling increased, fueled by panic of the unknown, but she couldn't move. She felt as if the thin blankets covering her were clinging to her limbs and fighting her into immobility.

A cool palm pressed to her forehead and after a few shushing words, Lucy relaxed a little. The person tugged the sheets down, exposing Lucy's damp sweaty body, and it suddenly felt as if the temperature were too cold for her to bear but she ignored it; the cool nips were making her more aware of her surroundings.

To her left and right were small cots, the right one had a small lump huddle beneath it but Lucy couldn't see beyond that. She tried to make out the person who freed her from the blanket-imprisonment but his or her features were blurred.

The palm brushed her cheek gently then settled in her hair and massaged her scalp soothingly. Lucy melted into the touch, being reminded of a similar action her mother would do to send her off to sleep. Unsurprisingly, within a few minutes she drifted off into a welcoming sleep filled with obscure faces but gentle hands.

* * *

When Lucy awoke this time, it was much more chaotic and unexpected. It had started as a little buzz in the back of her groggy awareness before escalating into painful, uncontrollable spasms. She felt helpless, like a stranger watching some act, while still feeling attached to it. Her limbs thrashed wildly and she bit down on her tongue painfully, drawing blood. The metallic flavour assaulted her senses and trickled down her throat, causing her to choke.

A commotion followed soon after then two thick, soot-flavoured appendages wedged themselves between her teeth, releasing her clamp on her tongue in favour of the foreign objects. She bit down harder out of panic from her helplessness and heard a pained groan. Minutes were spent spiraling in the tornado of helplessness and by the time the fit had subsided, Lucy was emotionally spent. Luckily, the pain had receded to a dull throb in her spine. She tried to move but the lingering tingle of activity in her muscles caused her to flop around bonelessly while trying to regain her bearings.

She felt herself being lulled back to sleep as a wave of exhaustion overcame her but a light smack on her face drew her back to reality quickly.

"Oi, Lucy," a raw, croaky voice started, "You ain't eaten in almost a week in that sleep of yours, time to wake up."

Lucy blinked blearily, trying to work an answer but her body was sluggish.

"You might want to let go of my fingers now, too," the person – Laxus it seemed – continued while wiggling the fingers trapped in her mouth indicatively. She let her jaw go slack, a surprisingly taxing job since it seemed bent on being locked around Laxus' fingers. He pulled them out then clenched them. Blood oozed from the bite wounds where she pierced the flesh, but Laxus chose to only wipe away the blood and saliva on his shirt.

Lucy observed him while trying to regain control of her body. His skin was a slightly sickly pallor in the wan light and the dark shadows surrounding his eyes made him look gaunt. His clothes were dirty and blood stained but still showed his impressive muscle stature. It was slightly contradicting and disheartening seeing that weary face on such a supple, dependable body.

Laxus shifted awkwardly from her scrutiny then rubbed the back of his neck while suppressing a yawn.

"I'll go fix you somethin' to eat real quick," he muttered.

Lucy watched him duck away from her and into an archway. As he left, the other person in the room became the focus of Lucy's attention. Evergreen stood nearby, leaning on the wall with her arms folded watching Lucy warily as if she would just erupt is spasms again.

Lucy stared back at her curiously. They never really interacted in the guild. Not her and Evergreen nor her and Laxus. It was a bit disconcerting not to have her familiar teammates at her side: Erza, Gray, Happy…Natsu.

She sighed, masking a sniffle and buried her face in her palms (all of a sudden her body was cooperating, the tricky bitch). She heard a tentative shuffle then felt Evergreen's comforting hands weave through her hair. Evergreen's familiar comforting fingers as they massaged her scalp again, loosening the tension in her body.

Natsu. Her Natsu. Lucy sniffled once more before drying her face. She was sure that Evergreen and Laxus had lost close teammates as well, yet here they were supporting her, trying to save scraps of a dying world. She had to be strong too and help others. Lucy peeked through her fingers up at Evergreen, feeling a modicum closer to the other woman in her moments of weakness. She forced a smile, one that Evergreen returned quickly.

"We should probably redress your wounds, Lucy," Evergreen said matronly, a tone Lucy never really associated with the stern, haughty woman, while retracting her fingers much to Lucy's disappointment. Lucy nodded then got up with Evergreen's assistance. They slowly made their way to the bathroom, pace impeded by Lucy's injuries, passing through the same archway that Laxus did, but turned in a direction opposite to the one he went.

Lucy observed the living area curiously. It was relatively large and well-spaced and seemed well equipped. There were fire-torches illuminating in the rooms which obviously spoke of contingency planning in case of no magic. She figured that Laxus and Evergreen used them in order to preserve their magic. There was a little mould on the walls and a musky scent permeated the area but overall, the place was quite habitable and dare-she-say-it comfortable in the tarnished Crocus.

She decided that she had to find out where they were when she regained her strength.

Evergreen led Lucy into a slightly cramped bathroom then closed the lid of the toilet and let Lucy sit there. It was only as Evergreen pulled out a first aid kit and began unbuttoning Lucy's shirt that the blonde realised that she was in relatively clean clothes and her wounds neatly bandaged.

"Don't worry, **_I _**cleaned you up," Evergreen responded to her nonverbal cues.

The process was slightly painful as her wounds were cleaned and redressed and the pus drained, dotted with intermittent stabs of pain in her spine, but otherwise, Lucy tolerated it. Evergreen helped sponge-bathe Lucy, much to her embarrassment, but it was a necessary evil since the brunette didn't want to wet Lucy's still slightly fresh wounds with a full blown bath.

When she was clean again, Lucy felt much better and even took Evergreen's hands in her own while thanking her profusely, something she would do when in her normal spirits. Evergreen blushed, eyes widening then smiled at her.

It was as they were leaving the room and Lucy caught sight of her reflection in the small mirror that she felt a little sick once more. Her hair was terribly uneven and limp and her skin was pale and sickly. Her face seemed despaired and caramel eyes a bit empty. Lucy's formerly brightening countenance dropped as she tentatively ran her fingers through her hair. Her eyes stung with tears.

Lucy knew it. She knew it. She was confident about her looks and body, bordering on vanity. It was the one thing she prided herself on since her magic seemed mediocre compared to everyone else. It was the one thing she felt a bit sure about, and here it was ripped away from her in a flash. She fingered the longish, brittle strands then the shorter ones. She lost her keys, she lost her looks, and she was injured and prone to spasms if what occurred earlier on was to go by; maybe she should have just died. She would be useless to Laxus and Evergreen. She should not have been the one to survive. _Natsu_…He should have.

Lucy's face crumpled and she grabbed onto Evergreen for support. The woman looked on in sympathy, having quite a vain streak herself and felt for her. Evergreen hugged her before making a quick decision.

"Lucy, shh, it's alright, we just have to cut it neh? I promise it will look good," Evergreen reassured.

Lucy lifted her head, eyes red and watering, "You promise?"

Evergreen nodded then guided her back to the closed toilet.

"We'll have to cut it low since the longer strands are damaged from the heat," Evergreen stated while reaching for a pair of surgical scissors. Lucy nodded hesitantly. Evergreen snipped at the hair and the blonde watched as it fell away. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling her heart clench.

_Be strong Lucy, be strong._

After about ten minutes under Evergreen's immaculate-for-detail eye, Lucy was finally permitted to see her new look. Her eyes widened at what she saw. Instead of the slightly coy look the longer hair gave her, her haircut made her face look youthful and innocent. The tips of the strands barely brushed her nape and parts of her hair flopped onto her forehead and into her eyes but Lucy didn't mind it. Evergreen quickly pinned one side of her hair back and the brushed the other set across her forehead.

Lucy smiled shakily at her reflection. She could do this. She could be strong.

Her stomach growled loudly and Lucy glanced down in surprise.

"I guess it's time to go get that meal Laxus promised," Evergreen said while ushering Lucy out. The blonde followed, listlessly still a bit strung about her haircut but as they neared the kitchen area, the overwhelming scent of burning food tickled the women's noses. They hurried on only to stop short at the scene before them.

Laxus was leaning against the wooden counter donned in a pinkish apron with a spatula in his hand, eyes closed and slight snores escaping his parted lips. The food sizzled in black globs on the stove top and small plumes of smoke spiraled upward. The man's nose twitched for a moment then wrinkled as the acerbic smell really assaulted him. He shot awake, stared flabbergasted at the food before turning off the stove in a panic.

Lucy kept staring. Laxus turned to acknowledge them, rubbing the back of his neck while sporting a light, embarrassed blush. For some reason, perhaps it was the whole stress of everything all at once collapsing onto her and finally gaining hysteric relief, or maybe it was just such a _cute _reaction from the big man wearing a pink apron, or may be Lucy just needed something to laugh at, but she just dissolved into a fit of giggles while clutching onto Evergreen's shoulder. Laxus scowled but without true enmity, because it felt damn good to see the blonde smiling, albeit at his own expense.

Lucy wiped away at the tears in her eyes slowly, the smile still lingering on her face. Laxus shuffled by, dumping the apron onto Evergreen then turned to leave. He paused.

"Oh, Lucy, I like your haircut," he flashed her a small, comforting smile, ruffled her hair then left the room with a stifled yawn.

* * *

Heya guys, I'm so sorry it took me so long to update and for the lack of real content plot-wise in the update. Grhh, I just got so caught up, so here was this extra-long chapter (not really tho XD)

Anyway, I hope y'all didn't find Laxus too OOC, it's just that he seems so easily flustered by little things (when a girl said she loved him or something in a filler episode he blushed really kawaii) and I needed something to break the tension.

I should get back on a regular updating schedule now (yeah right)!

Leave some love, drop a review and thank you everyone for hanging in there with me!


	6. Chapter 6

That night Lucy wept. It was silent. Her body shook and her voice ached for release but she crammed her fingers into her mouth to silence the inevitable whimpers. She was coiled up on the cot; it was uncomfortable and cold. The small cot seemed too large.

She was accustom to a stifling warmth encroaching her personal space; a fluffy fat thing flopping on her head and snoring obnoxiously; a mix-up of limbs after a night of maneuvering in a too-small bed. Here it was cold and unoccupied.

Lucy spied Laxus collapsed in another cot, his legs dangling off the ends of the bed. After he left the mess in the kitchen earlier that night, Evergreen fixed her something edible then watched her as she ate in companionable silence. After a few minutes, watching Lucy nibble the food must have gotten boring, Evergreen said that she was going to keep lookout. Lucy shrugged away the rest of the meal once no longer under scrutiny, rinsed out her mouth in the bathroom, then slumped into the cot, getting a scant amount of sleep before awaking from nightmares.

Lucy focused on Laxus' large form. She remembered the warmth seeping from him when he carried her after he and Evergreen found her; it was reminiscent of Natsu. Without really thinking of much other than how to stop the ache in her soul, Lucy struggled out of her cot then crept over to Laxus'. There really wasn't much space for her considering his sheer bulk, but Lucy crawled and snuggled up to him. It felt good. He was no Natsu, there was no mistaking that. He was big and muscly, his warmth tempered, his scent much more masculine, but he was there. His thick arm lolled over her and tugged her closer, pressing her face into the juncture between his chin and collarbone – giving her a much stronger whiff of his musk – perhaps he too was unconsciously seeking comfort.

Sleep came quickly after that.

* * *

Laxus dredged himself from sleep. It was a prostitute though, wrapping its intoxicating arms around him, coaxing him for another round; he resisted the call. It was far easier to come to when something soft and unmistakably Lucy was squished against him. Strawberry flavoured arms, with a splash of ash and decay, were draped over him, encasing him in a haze, one far more difficult to escape than sleep.

It had been a while since Laxus was with a woman, not for a lack of offers of course. He had been busy with the Grand Magic Games recently and learning from Gramps the intricacies of running a guild before that. Not to mention the apocalyptic turn that everything had taken made it difficult for Laxus to focus on his fleshly desires.

Waking up with a woman in his arms was, admittedly, enjoyable. The newly sheared blonde curls tickled his nose with every breath, a soft weight pressed up against him, warm puffs of breath against his chest, and curves melded into his body awaking his baser needs with a familiar coil in his gut. He jolted out of the state quickly, lidded amber eyes snapping open, extracting himself from Lucy's lax embrace, casting the pretty girl a slightly lustful look before quashing thoughts similar to those when Lucy had gotten in trouble with Phantom Lord: making her his woman.

He made his way into the bathroom, dousing in the refreshingly cold shower and smothering any hints of arousal. It vaguely occurred to him that he had not invited the girl to his bed last night, nor was he aware of any partners joining in his sleep routine. The answer popped into his head without much deduction; the girl needed comfort. Laxus chose to ignore that matter, there were much more important things to be thinking about.

Laxus turned off the water. He got out of the bathroom and dressed slowly, planning the next course of action. He knew that he and Ever had not left the Haven for too long. If they wanted to find survivors then, of course, they had to look for them before they died. He needed to give his body a rest though, and they were busy taking care of Lucy and Asuka, and watching over Levy.

They were going out today he decided. They could take an extra-long excursion since Lucy was awake now and could take care of Asuka. It was no good leaving the poor child alone for too long and someone had to keep watch of Levy. Laxus rounded into the kitchen spotting Evergreen leaning against the counter absentmindedly. She knawed at her fingernails, unaware of Laxus' eyes.

"Elfman," she whispered in what would have been unrecognizable unless there was a dragon-slayer around. Unfortunately for her there was.

"Ever," Laxus said, breaking her from her reverie. She hurriedly arranged her face into normalcy then spun to look at Laxus. Her eyes looked empty. Laxus spared no time in closing in on her and embracing her tightly. He pressed a kiss to her brunette locks, then she broke. She was never able to hide anything from her leader.

"Where is he, Laxus? Why haven't we found him yet? We were together when it happened, it shouldn't take so long for us to find him!" She clung onto Laxus as if he were her olive branch. He probably was.

"He's probably dead," she whimpered, "If someone like _**Natsu **_can die, then he's dead."

"Shut up!" Laxus exclaimed, but without much fever to it, pulling the woman tighter, "We're going out today. We'll look for him. Save all that strength you're spending worrying for later. Get some rest, we head out in a few hours."

Evergreen nodded, sniffling against Laxus' chest. He released her a few moments later. He heard her go into the bathroom, then the sick bay for some rest. Laxus hunched in on himself then stood up a few seconds later. He needed to prepare to leave, not wallow.

The time in between was spent packing food, water and medical items. He rationed the food and water, knowing that carrying too much would slow them down.

...

Laxus was interrupted from his poring over the maps by Lucy's familiar scent. He glanced over at the girl, noting that she looked much better today. Her cheeks were slightly suffused with colour and the tousled curls made her look adorable. She was still far too thin though, and limped to get around.

"Lucy," he grunted, seeing how she was hesitant to speak first. She smiled at him.

"Have you eaten anything yet Laxus?" she asked, "I'm going to prepare something for me and Asuka."

He looked surprised, only now noticing the little girl peeking from behind Lucy. It was good that the girl was getting better, but Laxus hadn't expected her to warm up to Lucy that quickly. She was still giving Ever a bit of a hard time.

"Sure" he replied, watching the two shuffle to the kitchen before returning to the maps. He squinted, rubbing his forehead before deciding that he was finished with them today. He closed his eyes and slouched into the chair, possible routes he and Ever could take dancing across his eyelids. He was interrupted by Lucy setting a plate in front of him. There was a steaming cup of tea as well. Laxus was grateful; it was only after Lucy offered did he realise how hungry he was.

She settled into another chair beside him. It must have been uncomfortable since she winced. They picked at the edible but not tasty meal in silence.

"Where is this place?" Lucy asked, casting her curious eyes to Laxus. He started at her voice almost forgetting she was there. His amber eyes settled on her.

"It's a safehouse for the Royal Family," he muttered, "Gramps told me about it some time ago, but it was my luck that I stumbled over this place."

Lucy nodded. She wanted to complain that it wasn't very comfortable for mages, much less the Royal Family, but decided not to. She didn't want to seem ungrateful.

"There are lots more of them, they're connected by these tunnels. I want to see how many survivors we can get here before we move though," Laxus continued, "Evergreen and I are leaving for a while."

Lucy halted eating, glancing up with panic.

"Leaving?" she asked, mocha eyes wide.

"We need to look for more survivors. We have to move soon. It's not safe to stay in one place for too long."

Lucy's fork clattered against the plate. "W-when will you be back?"

Laxus studied the girl, noting her trembling hands. She didn't want to be alone, reminding him of Asuka when he just got her. She clung to him for the first few days, not wanting to be out of his sight.

"At least a week," he muttered. Tears welled up in her eyes, but before she could erupt he strove to calm her down. He reached over and grasped her hand tightly, squeezing comfortingly.

"You need to be strong Lucy, look at me," she glanced up, "You need to take care of Asuka and Levy. They need you right now. Don't forget that you have them."

He rubbed a calloused thumb against the back of her hand, the skin was tender against his rough flesh. She covered his hand with her other one then brought it up to her face, brushing his knuckles against her cheek, a surprisingly intimate gesture that shocked Laxus.

"Promise you that you'll come back! You and Ever!" she sniffled, eyes burning, "Promise me!"

Her watery eyes were pitiful and made Laxus want to stay, like with Asuka, but he couldn't. Evergreen was pining for Elfman, if not the man himself then some closure if they could not find him this time. He had to leave.

"I promise, Lucy," he said, peering into her eyes with hopes of conveying his sincerity. She bit her lip, clinging to his hand then released it slowly. They finished eating quietly. It was an awkward silence seeing that they shared an intimate moment when they barely knew each other.

When it was time for him and Ever to leave, Lucy told them to be safe. She embraced Evergreen tightly, then did the same to him. They turned and climbed through the hole leading to the outside. Laxus felt her burning gaze on his back, scorching the reminder of the promise until he left.

* * *

Ughh, gomenasai guys. I didn't mean to take so long with the chapter. I've been neglecting my writing. This time for sure I'll update soon!

And I know that Laxus is a bit OOC like usual, but he is the leader. He has to be strong for everyone, and comfort them. Poor guy tho :'( I feel sorry for him.

Anywho, leave some love, drop a review, constructive criticism whatever. Thanksssss


	7. Chapter 7

Hello everyone. Surprise! It's me again. Hehehe, I apologise for taking so long with this chapter. I'm completely swamped with university right now. I can't promise another update because who knows if I'll do that anytime soon but I will try my best to do so.

Anyway, Enjoy!

* * *

Laxus took one deliberate sniff of the dusty air, ignoring the burn of his nostrils as the motes swirled into his nasal passages, before biting his tongue in hopes of holding the threatening vomit at bay. Mirajane had a very distinctive scent, one that Laxus knew very well as it was something of a constant in the guild. It was gentle and surprisingly pleasant amalgamation of jasmine and something sinister – remnants of her Satan Soul magic. Laxus' exceptional nose picked up the unique fragrance with ease, along with the foreboding scent of death. Laxus was no genius but it was very easy to understand that the strong, towering force that Mirajane exuded was extinguished.

This death hit closer to home than any other. He and Mirajane had been a little more than just friends. It had not evolved to a relationship or anything close to that, but they had enjoyed a little shameless flirting now and then that endeared the female to him. Laxus had decided that, when he was ready to settle down, she would be a major contender for the partner spot in his life. To him, her sweetness perfectly balanced by a dash of sadism, somewhat like a salted caramel melting in his mouth. Knowing that her vibrant cerulean eyes were empty sent a rack of pain throughout him.

It felt a bit more hollowed than before in his chest where a dull ache pulsed with every beat of his heart – a reminder that he was alive and well while his family perished in the most unfortunate manner possible. There was emptiness in him, swelling and growing with each familiar scent tainted with decay he noted. Soon there would be nothing left to take away.

Evergreen knew from his expression that yet another one of their guild-mates was dead; they had gone through this enough times for the past four days that he needn't articulate the words anymore. And each passing day the despair in her grew along with a resignation that Elfman was gone.

Laxus was prepared to turn and check another area but after taking one last hesitant whiff of air he discovered that the stink of death almost completely masked Elfman's musk. Luckily Laxus had been thorough despite his grief otherwise Elfman would have probably been left for dead.

"Evergreen!" he exclaimed, orange eyes bright with happiness for his friend even though she did not know why yet.

That roused the brunette from her despair, sparing no time to scramble atop rubble after the massive man, joyful at the fact that at least there was one life burning despite all the death regardless of who it was.

Laxus maintained his usual awareness for dangers while following his nose, but soon threw caution to the wind when he realized that Elfman's usually thundering heartbeat was faint, flickering like a tiny flame in the wind. He located the man quickly under a poorly hidden shed. It was a miracle he had not been found and killed by the perceptive dragons wreaking havoc on Crocus.

Laxis wasted no time in manually dragging away the rocks obscuring the area not wanting to injure the man with his magic. Evergreen followed suit, her actions becoming more frantic when she recognized the tawny skin and muscled limbs peeking out. Relieved sobs escaped her lips but the tears trickling down her dusty skin did nothing to impede her speed. She choked out a laugh reaching over to caress the sharp lines of Elfman's face when his whole body was bared to the open. It took her a few seconds to notice the weak rise and fall of his chest before she turned to Laxus in panic.

"Laxus, please," she begged, eyes wide with terror.

Laxus would have happily acquiesced with her unstated request had he not seen the remnants of Mirajane's body a little deeper in the enclosure, curled in the direction of her little brother, her pale hand reaching for him. Laxus' breath hitched at the emptiness in her eyes and the destitute condition of her body. Her once pristine platinum hair tangled with blood and dirt and body mangled. He ripped his gaze from the sight but was unable to get rid of the imaged seared into his eyelids.

Laxus turned to Ever and reached down to pick up Elfman carefully. He did not have to privilege to dwell on the dead when someone else needed assistance. Laxus struggled momentarily with the dead weight, mostly because of his injuries flaring up from the pressure put on them rather than a lack of strength on his part. He suppressed his groan in favour of carrying the unconscious man back to the haven. It would probably take them a day to reach back to the haven. They had taken much longer to reach Elfman's location because of their thorough search for survivors. Now though, they were in a race against time to get the injured man away from the elements and properly bandaged up. The medical supplies they brought was negligible in the face of his extensive wounding and attempting to patch him up now would only waste time to get him to proper treatment.

Evergreen made the silent decision to go forward and scout out the surroundings while Laxus hoisted the other man on his back, still wary of his injuries. She would be of no assistance in carrying Elfman and she could not scout farther than what Laxus extraordinary senses could pick up but he did not deny her the pleasure of making use for herself. He knew it was just to distract the worry that was growing at Elfman's condition.

The weather was determined to hinder Laxus' and Evergreen's rush back to the haven. The sun came out from behind the thick grey clouds it was hiding behind, blisteringly hot and scorching Laxus' tanned skin red. The dust motes in the atmosphere were stirred up by a dry wind, serving only to hinder Laxus' sight and make his tongue heavy with the taste.

After about a half-day of trudging back toward the haven, Laxus caught a burdensome whiff of the dragon Motherglare's spawn. Two to be exact. If Laxus could notice them then it was only reasonable that they too discovered his and Evergreen's presence.

"Evergreen," Laxus grinded out, his voice cracked from dehydration. The woman a few ways off halted at his voice and scurried back to him quickly, exploiting his call as an excuse to see Elfman up close once more despite her self-imposed distance.

"There are two of the grey dragon's spawn up ahead. Most likely they know we're here. Take Elfman and go. I'll hold them off."

Evergreen looked stricken, head tilting in the direction Laxus indicated the dragon-spawn were at. It was just their luck to get caught in a situation like this at the worst possible time. She unconsciously reacted to her leader's orders, reaching out to grasp at Elfman's burning flesh – an indication of a dangerous infection – but halted soon after.

"N-no. He's too heavy for me to carry Laxus. You have to take him, I'll be a decoy."

"Ever!" Laxus growled, "We don't have time for this, take him and go."

"You know better than I do how heavy he is. I can't do it. You know what to do Laxus. Be safe."

The woman did not wait for him to react and only sped towards the area Laxus had indicated the danger to be.

The lightning mage felt his chest tighten knowing her words to be true then gritted his teeth angrily. It would take him another half-day to get to the haven and night was falling meaning the temperature would experience a chilling drop. He had to get Elfman to safety soon or else there would be a scarce chance of making it. But if he left Evergreen for a half-day the chances of her making it alive was slim to none. He felt conflicted but knew that he had to sacrifice Evergreen. She would despise him if he took away Elfman's chance of life.

A frustrated roar built up in Laxus' chest but he refused to let it out in fear of attracting more dangers. He channeled the frustration in his burning muscles and began jogging towards the haven much faster than before. He would bring Elfman to safety then come to Ever. She had to be alive.

It was difficult work, maneuvering the treacherous terrain with such a huge weight addition while in the dark. Coupling those things with the drop in temperature and the growing strain on Laxus' body left him hacking nasty-sounding coughs that soon resulted in clumps of blood and phlegm dribbling onto his lips. He had lost track of time, the thumping of his heart against his chest the only measure available to him. Soon he spotted the familiar signs of the haven and, in a burst of energy, sped towards the opening.

Laxus grunted loudly, propping the heavy man up with one hand while widening the opening with another. His fingers tore in his haste, spilling blood on the rubble and undoubtedly leaving his scent there. He'd have to dispose of those stones.

"Lucy!" he shouted, then startled from hearing the reverberations of his voice in the room. His body was wound up tightly like a spring ready to pop.

It took a scarce minute for the blonde woman to shove aside the huge slab of rock covering the next opening. Her eyes were wide with shock when she took in Laxus' and Elfman's damaged condition. She said nothing however and only struggled out of the hole in the ground to assist him with Elfman. Together they lowered him into the haven and Laxus carried the man to the sickbay. He vaguely noted Asuka's presence on a rumpled bed where it seemed she was snuggled with Lucy as it contained her scent.

"Where's Ever?" came Lucy's shrill question, pupils blown wide in fear as she flitted around Elfman, a distinctive limp in her walk still but decidedly better than before.

Laxus ignored the question then pierced her with his tired but forceful gaze.

"Take care of Elfman, I'll be back soon with her."

Then, for the second time in five days, Laxus left Lucy.


End file.
